Pages

Categories

March 5, 2015

1 Example--Peace in the Storms of Life

It’s tough to accept, but many situations and people in life cannot be controlled. Unpredictable forces can be found in the weather, the government, unreasonable bosses, our health, and human cruelty. Loved ones who are expected to nurture us may be unwilling or unable to do so. Our finances may take an unexpected downturn due to job less, illness, or family emergencies.

Currently, one of my favorite sayings is “You never know”. That’s because so many of my friends have been faced with such trauma as job loss, medical emergencies, divorce, and the death of a loved one. My own list of frustrations is so long it might take hours to write. It’s safe to say that nothing is guaranteed in this day and age. That’s a truly terrifying thought for some of us!

The solution

So, what should we do? Are we obliged to tear our hair out and weep at the obvious inequity of life? Frankly, if I did that, I wouldn’t have any hair left. Also, my eyes are already too dry. All we can do is stay in peace. Stress doesn’t help anything.

Jackie Robinson

This icon of baseball knew that racism existed. He was exposed to it constantly. He knew that one man couldn’t stop bigotry overnight; he accepted that fact. On the other hand, he determined to demand respect for himself where possible. I mention this unbelievably strong man in my book: Accept No Trash Talk: Overcoming the Odds. This is a direct quote:

Jackie Robinson--was the unflappable trailblazer who broke the color barrier in major-league baseball single-handedly. He did this by playing his first game for the all-white Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15th, 1947. He endured an amazing amount of abuse as the first person to break out of the colored league. I saw historical video footage of one of Robinson’s first games with the Dodgers. The all-white crowd was loudly jeering him when he first ran into the stadium. However, that same crowd ended up cheering him when they saw a display of this determined man’s raw talent. Despite unbelievable opposition, Robinson stayed the course and proved his worth.

Branch Rickey, President and General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, recruited Robinson and supported him. Rickey’s unflagging faith in Robinson's ability is probably one of the reasons Jackie Robinson was able to push himself to succeed in a world that had previously been closed to him. He won many honors and titles.

My Conclusion

Life is full of barriers. These blockages can rise like storms in our minds because most humans want to control their environment. How is it possible to be tranquil, then? Peace is not the absence of storms, but calmness in the middle of the tempests. It’s accepting what cannot be changed while making whatever modifications are possible.